Boy, 4, thrown out for shirt: 'TMNT' are not in the dress code

Pushing the limits on style and self-expression is a rite of passage for teens and even younger kids. How far should schools go with their dress codes? The courts have sided with schools in an era when school safety is paramount. (April 16)

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A boy, 4, was thrown out for the shirt he was wearing while out with his family. The child was out to lunch in Atlanta when this happened. His family had decided to visit a Phipps Plaza restaurant, and the restaurant has a strict policy for men that eat in the establishment. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed at any time. This four-year-old little boy was out with his family, and he was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported on this bizarre story on July 3.

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It is not often you hear stories about people being kicked out over their appearance. Some stories have popped up in recent years, and this case is the latest example of rules going too far. Lewis Roberts was pretty proud of himself on the day of the incident. He had picked out his own shirt, and he was proud to show off his ninja turtle pride. However, his family was asked to leave the restaurant because of his shirt. Sleeveless shirts are just not allowed as part of the restaurant's dress code.

The hostess asked them to leave the establishment, and a manager followed up the request after the family asked to speak to her. Their sleeveless shirts policy extended to "gentleman of all ages." The family left. His aunt said the following about the incident, according 11 Alive:

"If we would have thought for a minute that he was inappropriately dressed, we would have gone to a different restaurant to save the embarrassment."

News stations in the area did try to speak to the restaurant, but their request was denied. However, upper management of The Tavern did hear about the incident, and they tried to make things right. Their manager had made an error. The policy does not include children or women. Amber Stewart, a spokesperson for the company, said the following about the family's trouble at the restaurant:

"Rule does not apply for children and ladies -- for gentleman only. It was an embarrassing misunderstanding on our part. She's a manager in training who had a gross misunderstanding of our policy. We apologize and are reaching out to the family."

The offered apology was accepted by the family, and they will return to the restaurant at a future date. Will little Lewis dress more appropriately? That was not revealed.

This is not the first time a four-year-old boy has been kicked out for his appearance. Last year, a little boy in Texas was kicked out of school because his long hair violated the school's dress code. The boy attended a school in Lytle Independent School District, and their policy states that "boy's hair must be worn as to not to touch the collar, hang below the ears, or be worn in a ponytail." The little boy wanted to be just like his father, and his dad had long hair. The family cut his hair to follow the policy, but they were not happy about doing so.

In another instance that is appropriate for the 4th of July holiday, teens attending Live Oak High School were sent home to change their American flag t-shirts. The students had worn their shirts on Cinco De Mayo, and the school staff felt that the shirts might be incendiary with their large Mexican-American population. If the boys did not change their shirts, they would be suspended. To avoid the trouble, they were sent home. Parents of the boys thought the request was "total nonsense" though.In defiance, one of the boys wore his flag t-shirt when he returned to school the next day.

Lewis Roberts was not trying to cause any problems by wearing his shirt showing off his favorite cartoon characters. The incident was handled after the fact. Everyone is happy now, but the incident should never have happened in the first place. A four-year-old little boy is not a grown man. It is good to see that the upper management at the restaurant realized that and fixed this error.

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Regina Avalos makes knowing what is happening in the world her business. She keeps up to date on the top news stories of the day, and she is ready to share them with her readers.You may email Regina with your comments and questions.

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